Big showing from Kamiakin's soph QB

By Kevin Anthony, Herald staff

I wanted to follow up on Kylle Robertson's play for the Kamiakin Braves on Saturday. Without him -- or someone of his ilk -- they probably aren't playing this weekend.

Yes, Zach Umemoto ran for 156 yards and two scores, Drew Oord scored another TD on the ground and the Braves racked up 248 of their 311 total yards on the ground. Also, Robertson's passing numbers weren't flashy -- 6-for-10 for 65 yards and a touch.

But the kid got it done when he needed to. And with a few key passes, Kamiakin's running game may have grounded to a halt.

It was a rough start, for sure. Filling in for injured Jason Hutchison, Robertson was high on many of his throws, especially early. He took a 15-yard loss on a sack on a slow-developing play-action pass that killed the Braves' first scoring threat.

With the first half coming to a close, he was 2-of-5 for 4 yards.

But that's when he made his first big throw, a fourth-and-10 conversion to Brandon Larson, who held on despite a vicious hit to give Kamiakin a first-and-goal a the 11. Oord scored on the next play, giving the Braves faithful something to cheer about heading into the locker room after their team fell behind 14-0.

In the second half, it seemed that Robertson could do no wrong, starting with a 15-yard scramble on the first snap of the third quarter to get Kamiakin some field position out to the 30. Later on the drive he connected with Jesse Houser for a third-down conversion of 8 yards, then found James Swinyard on a fourth-and-4 that set up Umemoto's 16-yard TD.

Robertson finished 3-for-4 for 38 yards after the break, and each of those completions going for a first down or a touchdown. Also, he ran for 38 yards on nine carries (take away the sack, and his actuall rushing total is 53 yards).

At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, he brings power and mobility to the position.

Kamiakin wears down Seattle Prep, 28-14

KENNEWICK — The mark of a great football team isn't 40-point wins and second-quarter blowouts. It's picking yourself up after a surprise right cross knocks you down.

Kamiakin battled back from a dominating quarter-plus of play by Seattle Prep, grinding down the smaller Panthers in the second half for a 28-14 Class 3A playoff win Saturday at Lampson Stadium.

Zach Umemoto ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns, sophomore fill-in Kylle Robertson played beyond his years at quarterback, and the Braves' defense made the big plays in the second half.

"They smashed us in the mouth. They came ready to play," said fullback/linebacker Drew Oord, who scored Kamiakin's first touchdown in the second quarter on a bullish 8-yard run. "But after that first quarter, our defense shut them down. They couldn't move the ball to save their lives."

The win sets up the rematch that Big Nine fans have been drooling over, with the fourth-ranked Braves (11-0) and No. 9 Kennewick playing next Saturday in the quarterfinals. Kamiakin handed the Lions (10-1) their lone loss, 14-6, in Week 4.

But that rematch seemed a long shot after seventh-ranked Seattle Prep (9-2) opened the game in a fashion Kamiakin fans are not accustom to: pushing their Braves up and down the field and blowing holes in the Red Brick Wall.

The Panthers took the opening kickoff and marched to the Kamiakin 24, tearing off chunks of yards in their double-tight end set with power back Charlie Brennan. Quarterback Jackson Clough frequently pitched the ball to Brennan, then used his 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame to lead the ball carrier into the hole, along with 200-pound fullback Jim Killeen.

It added up to the Braves being outnumbered at the point of attack.

"A couple of times, I felt like four guys were on me," said Kamiakin defensive end Joe Hunt. "It was tough to hold my gap."

The Panthers' second drive lasted just three plays, with speedy back Teré Calloway coming to a dead stop before picking his way through the middle of Kamiakin's defense to reach open field on a 78-yard touchdown.

"People have a hard time with our offense out of the gate," Clawson said. "We get a rhythm going, and if we can sustain it, great."

A three-and-out by Kamiakin, and Prep was back on the move as the quarter came to a close. In just 12 minutes, the visitors had piled up 173 yards on the ground — about two games' worth for the Braves defense.

Three plays into the second quarter, Prep flashed its dangerous side, with a play-action pass from Clough to Parker Mays. Mays beat one-on-one coverage on the outside and scored on the 39-yard play.

Prep was up 14-0, and Kamiakin had yet to show any signs of figuring that offense out.

"They hit us in the mouth," Hunt said. "I think we were shell-shocked. But our team's a bunch of fighters. We came back and kept punching, came back with a 'W'."

The comeback started after Prep rolled the dice on its next possession. Facing fourth-and-2 on his team's 35, Panthers coach D.R. Clawson decided to go for it. The plan was to draw the defense offside. But not everyone got the message, and an unexpected snap resulted in a fumble and a short field for Kamiakin, which soon scored.

"That fourth-down conversion, we fumble the ball and let them score going into the half," Clawson said. "At that point in the game, if we get that fourth-down conversion, we can drive the ball and get three or seven points. But we blew that, gave them a short field and the score was 14-7."

And the momentum swung all the way to Kamiakin, which dominated the second half.

"They were too big for us, too physical," said Prep's Clawson. "We couldn't get the stops and get off the field."

Kamiakin finished with 248 yards on the ground and 311 total. After their fast start, Seattle Prep managed just 68 more yards rushing the rest of the day.

Calloway finished with 134 yards on 14 carries, and Brennan had 92 on 18 for the Panthers.

Kamiakin clinches title share

By Kevin Anthony, Tri-City Herald

KENNEWICK -- It was a crowning night for the Kamiakin Braves, even if it wasn't a polished performance.

Then again, good teams know an ugly win counts the same as a flawless one.

Zach Umemoto ran for 171 yards and three touchdowns, the last two slamming down like hammer blows to Hanford's upset hopes, and the Braves held off a physical Falcons squad 28-14 on Thursday night.

The win under the lights at Lampson Stadium locked up at least a piece of a second consecutive CBBN 3A title for the Braves (8-0, 6-0) and the top seed heading into the playoffs.

"It's a good feeling," said Umemoto, drenched after a 28-carry night. "We just want to go back to the state (championship) game like last year."

The Braves -- ranked fourth in the state -- took advantage of three Hanford fumbles, all of which led to touchdowns, including K Perrins' 29-yard TD catch from Jason Hutchison in the first quarter after the Falcons gave back a Kamiakin fumble.

But the most costly was the last, coming early in the fourth quarter and the Falcons (3-5, 3-3) hip deep in a game many didn't expect to be this close.

Isaac Benard had just pulled the Falcons even at 14-all on a thrilling 91-yard run. The sophomore back tore through one tackler trying to strip the ball, then found nothing but green turf in front of him.

Kamiakin came back and drove 76 yards -- 47 of that on a hookup between Jesse Houser and Hutchison -- to the Hanford 4.

Umemoto plowed down to the 1 on his first carry, but the door slammed shut on the next two, with Falcons linebacker Cody Baldowski making a big hit on third down.

The third quarter ended, and the teams changed ends. It seemed to change the fortunes for Kamiakin, with Umemoto diving over the goal line on fourth down for the go-ahead score.

"I just had to keep driving," said Umemoto, who topped 900 yards rushing on the season. "I can't let them take me down on fourth down. If we didn't score, who knows what happens."

KENNEWICK -- There is smash-mouth football, and then there is "Pow! In your face, a fist to the teeth" football.

And somewhere on the other side of that, is Kennewick and Kamiakin football.

Zach Umemoto ran for 134 yards and crashed into the end zone two times, and Kamiakin's defense was at its blitzing best as the Braves took a physical, 14-6 decision off the rival Lions on Friday night before a packed house at Lampson Stadium.

A crowd near the 6,800 capacity watched a punishing game between two ranked, unbeaten teams -- even the coaches were limping after this one -- as Kamiakin (4-0, 2-0) remained on top of the CBBN 3A.

And this win came thanks to a ground-pounding attack that Umemotored on a late drive to put the game away.

"Unbelievable," said Joe Hunt, a member of the offensive line that cleared the way as well as an all-over-the-field defensive end and key special teams player. "This has got to be right up there next to the state championship game last year."

The Braves, state runners-up last year, couldn't pull free of Kennewick (3-1, 1-1) until Umemoto's 1-yard plunge with 1:48 to play.

The 10-play, 62-yard drive was all Umemoto, who was a gut punch to a defense that had traded blow-for-blow with the Braves.

"Those guys are pretty big, pretty strong," said Lions running back/corner Grant Woods, who came into the game averaging 11.2 yards per carry but was held to 22 on 10 touches. "We're smaller, but we have speed. But props to Umemoto."